Valve-gear



No. 506,359. Patented 00h10,' 1893'.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. v

WILLIAM CRAIG, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

vALlvE-GAEARJ-'oa DIRECT-ACTING ENGINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 506,359, dated ctober 10, 1893.

Application filed August 3, 1893. Serial No. 482,321. (No model.)

To all whom t may con/cern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM CRAIG, of Brooklyn, in the countyot' Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Valve-Gear for Direct-Acting Engines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in valve gear for direct-acting engines in which a main valve actuated by the motor duid for the induction and eduction of said uid to the cylinder on opposite sides of the pist-0n is under the control of a spindle or auxiliary valve connected with the piston.

The object of my invention is to provide improved means for securing the valve spindle or auxiliary valve and the main valve whichy slides thereon in their proper position Within the steam-chest and to further provide an improved connection between the engine piston and the pilot-rod connected with said spindle or valve.

Apractical embodiment of myinvention is represented in the accompanying drawings, in Which- Figure 1 is a central longitudinal sectional view of the cylinder andsteamchest of an by which it is connected to the engine piston.

vder A as is usual.

A designates the engine cylinder.

The main steam-chest is denoted asa whole by B and is secured at the end of the cylin- A steam inlet port b enters the side of the steam-chest and ports O, C lead from theY side of the steam-chest to opposite ends of the cylinderA for the transmission of steam to the opposite sides of the engine piston D. An exhaust port b leads from the side of the steam-chest intermediate of the ports O and C.

The main valve actuated by the motor fluid is denoted by E. It is located within the chest B and slides therein upon a vertically movable spindle Fwhich as represented constitutes the auxiliary valve. The said spindle or valve F has a connecting rod f at its top which extends through a stuffing box f at the, top of the cap f2 which coversthe top 'of the steam-chest.

The valve E is provided as usual with ports for transmitting the steam from the inlet port b to the ports O and vC and with a suitable recess for connecting each of said ports O and O', alternately with the exhaust b. The said valve E and spindle or auxiliary valve F are also provided with coacting ports for admitting the steam to and exhausting it from the opposite ends of the chest orl casing B to slide the said valve E within the chest or casing as is common. These general features maybe seen for example in United States Letters Patent No. 485,787, granted to me November 8, 1892.

'In my present structure the spindle or auxiliaryvvalveFis provided with an elongated slot extending centrally through it, the slotrbeing of sufficient length to permit its necessary vertical movement. The main valve E has also 'formed through it, upon opposite sides of the spindle or valve F, with elongated slots g, g', adapted to register with the slot Gr in the said spindle orvalve. The said spindle or auxiliary valve and main valve are heldfin their relative positions by means of a stationary bolt H which extends through their respective slots and also through the opposite walls of the chest or casing B,

as is clearly indicated in Fig. 2. The saidv bolt being supported at both ends in the `steam-chest makes a substantial guide for both the main valve and the spindle or auxiliary valve which may be readily renewed Whenever it becomes Worn and which is not liable to become broken or otherwise disarranged.

. The bottom of the spindle or auxiliary valve F is connected by means of a pilot-rod I and catch-plate K with the rod d of the engine piston D. This connection is made with a view of rendering the removal of the pilotrod from the piston rodcl simple and convenient Without cutting away the plate'or piston-rod at the face of the piston to any injurious extent and without the removal'of the steam-chest E. This connection is made as follows: The piston rod d is made hollow vfor a considerable distance from the face ot IOOr the piston D, as is usual, and at theface of the piston D the catch-plate K is secured to the piston over the ,hollow end of the rod d. The plate K is provided with an oblong slot k and the pilot-rod I which is attached to the spindle F to be turned therewith is provided with an oblong head t' adapted, when turned in a direction to bring its longest diameter in a plane with the longest diameter of the slot la, to pass readily through the slot 7c, but when turned at right angles to the slot the said elongated head 1l will engage the plate K upon opposite sides of the slot 7c and will thereby lock the said pilot-rod in position with its head within the hollow pis tonrod d. The slot k is arranged to extend lengthwise in the direction in which the bolt His passed through the spindle F and main valve E, so that the said spindle with the pilot-rod attached thereto may be readily inserted in position when the cap f2 is removed, by simply sliding the spindle with its pilotrod down through the valve E, the said spindle being turned one-quarter way around from its normal position in which its'longest diameter crosses the longest diameter of the slot c and after the head ofthe pilot-rod I has beenipassed through `the slot k in the plate K, turning the said spindle and the pilotrod back into normal position and locking the said parts by passing the bolt H through the elongated slots G, g and g. To permit the disconnection and reconnection ofthe pilot-rod and `piston it is only necessary to remove the cap f2 and take out the bolt I-I when the spindle F and pilot-rod may be turned by taking hold of the rodfoutside of the said cap and the valves may be lifted out from the steam-chest.

To @prevent the piston D from working around within the cylinder A so as to bring the head t' of the pilotrod I to again register with the slot It, I provide the interior of the cylinder A with a groove a and set a guide stud d in the edge of the piston D with its end projecting from the edge of the piston into the groove a. The tendency of the piston D to rotate while reciprocating is very slight so that the Wear upon the stud d and Walls of the groove a will be inconsiderable, but it is deemed necessary as a matter of precaution to provide against any possible disarrangement of the parts.

The operation of the apparatus is so well understood that a recital thereof is not thought necessary.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. The combination with the steam-chest, the reciprocating valve and the longitudinally reciprocating valve spindle within the chest, the valve and the spindle being provided with registering elongated slots, of a bolt extending through theslots in the spindle and valve and throughthe Walls of the steam-chest and supported at; both ends in the latter, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with the engine cylinder, the piston, the steam-chest., the -main valve for controlling the admission of steam tothe cylinder and acentral reciprocating valve-spindle on which saidmain valve slides, of a pilot-rod attached to saidspindle and having an elongated head, a plate at the face ofthe pistonprovide'd with an elongated slot opposite the hollow end of the'piston-rod, the said slot being arranged at right angles to the normal position of the headof the pilotrod, and means for preventing the piston, the valve-spindle and the valve `from turning from relatively normal positions, all substantially as set forth.

WILLIAM CRAIG. Witnesses:

FREDK. Harinas, F. HOWARD TITLAR. 

